The Assignment
by twilitbones
Summary: This is in response to a Fan Fiction Challenge at Bonesology. Parker has a homework assignment, that he needs help completing. Booth and Bones soon learn that making a Bucket List, can be enlightening.


**I don't own Bones, I know I have 206 in my body, but the Bones from Fox isn't mine. **

The Assignment

"Dad, can you help me with my homework?"

"Sure Bud, what do you need?"

Bones followed Booth into his son's room.

"Can I help?"

"It's not real schoolwork, it's a writing assignment. I don't know if you will understand Bones."

"I can understand anything, and I do know how to write Parker, if you remember I have published several books that have been on the best seller list."

"It's not that kind of assignment. It's more a thinking assignment."

"Parker I do believe I can think."

"No, it's hard to explain."

Booth was getting aggravated.

"Parker, just tell us what it is."

"I have to write a letter to myself about all the things I want to accomplish by the time I'm twenty-five."

"Oh, sort of like a bucket list?"

"Yeah, kinda like that."

"Ok, well, finish school should be one thing."

"Obviously, I'm having trouble with the other stuff."

Bones interrupted them.

"What's a bucket list?"

They both stopped and stared at her.

"You know Bones, from the movie?" Booth said.

"What movie?"

Booth and Parker both stared at her.

"Bones, you never saw The Bucket List?"

"Booth, I wouldn't ask you what it was if I had seen it."

Parker put down his pen.

"Dad, can we watch it?"

"I don't know Bud; you are supposed to get your homework done, before any fun."

"But Dad, she never saw it, and this could be considered research."

"Yes, Booth it is very important to do any research before engaging in an assignment, so that you will have covered all the variables that could possibly arise."

They both looked at her and shook their heads.

"Dad, it's only Friday."

"Ok, but we go back to the homework as soon as it's over."

"Sure Dad. No problem.'

They all went to the living room to watch the new flat screen that Bones bought for Booth. Parker started the movie.

"You're going to like this Bones, its real good."

They began watching.

"I have been skydiving."

Booth stopped the movie.

"What?"

"I went skydiving."

"When?"

"With my landscape ecology class in college."

Parker's eyes lit up."

"That's so cool, was it fun?"

"At first I was terrified, but after the pressure in my ears subsided, it felt great. Some people say that you can reach terminal velocity, but that is untrue the possibility is astronomical."

"Terminal velocity?"

"Terminal velocity is when the downward force of gravity on a free falling object, equals the upward force of drag. This causes the net force on the object to be zero, resulting in an acceleration of zero. Since gravity constantly pulls any object downward, your body cannot achieve terminal velocity by jumping out of a plane."

"Never mind Parker, let's finish the movie."

Booth turned it back on.

"I also saw the pyramids, but you're not allowed to climb them."

Booth leaned over, and pulled her close.

"Bones, just watch the movie."

"But some parts are impractical."

"Bones, we've been through this before; just watch the movie."

She stopped talking and snuggled closer to him. As the movie ended, he looked at her and was surprised to see tears in her eyes. He leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"Did you like it?"

She just nodded her head. He smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head.

"Aww, Dad, you're not going to start that now are you?"

"No, but you need to go back and finish your homework."

"Yes sir. Bones did you like it?"

"Yes Parker I did, but many things are impossible to do."

Booth sighed with exasperation.

"Bones, it's a movie."

"I know, but I felt it was important to point out the relevant facts to Parker, before he began his homework. Why plan on doing something that is impossible, you will only be disappointed in the end.""

"Thanks Bones, but I'm not putting any of those things on my list."

"That's good Parker."

"Parker, do you still need help, or can I help Bones with dinner."

"I can do some, but I may need help later."

"Ok, go get started, I'll be in, in a little while."

"Ok Dad."

They went into the kitchen to start dinner.

"Booth what would be on your bucket list?"

He placed his hand on her growing abdomen.

"This."

"You want to be pregnant?"

He laughed.

"No, I want to hold my child."

"Anything else?"

"Well, I would like to marry you, watch her grow up, have grandchildren, watch them grow up, and when I finally die, I want to be holding you in my arms."

In his head her silently added, and hear you tell me how you really feel.

"Booth that would take a long time, are you sure you'd want me around that long?"

He turned to look at her.

"Bones, I told you before, this is forever. I don't want to be anywhere else or be with anyone else, except with you."

She leaned up and kissed him.

"Me too Booth."

They finished cooking dinner, and called Parker to come and eat.

"So Parker did you finish your homework?" Booth asked.

"Almost. I was hoping after dinner you can help me a little more."

"Sure Bud. No problem."

They finished dinner, and cleaned up.

"Parker, do you want that help now?"

"Yeah Dad, Bones you want to come too?"

"Sure Parker now that I know what the assignment is."

They went into his room.

"What do you have done so far?"

He handed him his paper.

"Parker, this ends at eighteen, what else do you want to do?"

"That's the part that I'm having trouble with. Twenty-five's so old, I can't think that far."

They both sat on his bed.

"Well, how about a job?" Bones asked.

"I'd like to work in a lab like you."

"Ok Bud, what kind of lab?"

"I don't know, maybe like Hodgins, but I don't want to be around dead people."

"Ok, so you want to be an entomologist?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"Parker, you know that this is just an idea. Many things can change between now and then. You are allowed to change your mind."

"That's true Dad, I can change my mind."

"There are no positives in this world, as a species we are changing all the time. Evolution happens on an elementary level, and nothing is static."

Parker had learned to just nod and agree, whether he understood her or not, but this time he knew what she meant.

Ok, I can do that Bones, thanks."

"Well, I do want to go to college, and maybe an entomologist would be fun. Could I travel all over like you Bones, if I'm an entomologist."

"Yes, you could go into research and work in various places, identifying insects from all over the world. Many insects in the rain forest have yet to be discovered."

"I could work in the rain forest?"

"If you want."

"Wait a minute. What happens to me? I want to see you when you grow up. I want to have grandchildren one day, and go to ball games with them. I want to spoil them rotten, and then send them home."

"Dad, I could do that too. Look how old you are, and Bones is just having a kid now.I could do all the fun stuff, and then get married and have kids."

"Hey, I'm not old."

"Dad, you're almost forty, that's old."

"Parker, your Dad's not old."

"Ok Bones, sorry Dad."

"Let's finish this assignment."

"Do you need any more help?"

"No, I think I can finish it on my own."

"Parker, I corrected some grammatical errors, and I would like to proofread it before you hand it in."

"Yes, Bones. You're worse than my mom."

"Well, thanks Parker."

"Bones, I don't think he meant it as a compliment."

"Oh."

"Parker."

"Sorry, Bones."

"It's ok Parker; just tell us when you're done."

"I will."

They went back to the living room.

"So Bones, what's on your bucket list?"

"Well, I've been all over the world, so I don't think I would like to travel. I'd like to buy a house, with you of course."

Booth almost choked on his water.

"You want to buy a house?"

"Yes, before the baby comes. Would that be ok?"

"I think I would love that. We can look next weekend."

"Do you think Rebecca would let Parker come?"

"Maybe, I'll ask her when I bring him home."

He pulled her close to him and kissed her head.

"Anything else?"

"Hold my baby. Have more children, with you of course. See them grow up and then have grandchildren."

She wanted to tell him that she may want to get married in the future, but didn't know how he would react. The idea was still forming in her mind, and she didn't want to encourage him to propose yet.

"I'm not sure what else; I need to think about it."

"Well, like you told Parker, it's not set in stone."

"Why would I want to write it in stone?"

He looked at her.

"Oh, I get it, a metaphor."

He kissed her again.

"That's one of the things that I love about you. You still seem so innocent."

"Booth, I am far from innocent."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know."

Parker came running into the room.

"Ok, I'm done."

He handed his paper to Bones. They both read it, and handed it back.

"Parker this is good. Bones will correct it tonight, and you can rewrite it tomorrow. It's time for bed."

"Ok, Dad. Are we still going to the zoo tomorrow?"

"Yep, right after breakfast."

"Cool."

"Get in the shower and go to sleep."

"Yes sir."

He came back a short while later, and kissed them goodnight.

.

Later that evening, after making love, he held her in his arms.

"Booth?"

"What?"

"I love you."

He pulled her tighter, with tears in his eyes, as he realized that he just checked one thing off his list.


End file.
